It was the old lady's birthday. She got up early to be ready for the post. From the second floor flat she could see the postman when he came down the street, and a little boy, Johnnie, _ _31___ her letters from the ground floor on the rare_ _32___ when anything came.
    Today she was sure there would be something. Myra_ _33___ forget her mother's birthday, even if she _ _34___ wrote at other times. Of course Myra was busy, but _ _35___, Enid, the daughter the old lady loved most, died two years ago. Since then Myra had been to see her mother three times, but her husband, Harold, never. 

The old lady was eighty today. She had put on her best dress. Perhaps--perhaps Myra might come. After all, eighty was a _ _36___ birthday, another decade lined or tolerated just as you chose to look at it. _ _37___Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was _ _38___ of that. Two spots of colour _ _39___ her cheeks. She was _ _40___ like a child. She would enjoy her day!
    Now, she stood by the window, _ _41___. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat _ _42___. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate. Then clatter (咔嗒声), clatter up the stairs. Johnnie knocked at her door. He had got her post---four envelopes. Three were unclosed cards from old friends. The fourth was closed, in Myra's writing. The old lady felt a sharp pain of _ _43___.There was no parcel for her! Maybe the parcel was too large to come by letter post. That was it. It would come later by parcel post. She said to herself. She must be _ _44___.

Almost _ _45___she tore the envelope open. _ _46___in the card was a piece of paper. Written on the card was a message under the printed Happy Birthday --- Buy yourself something nice with the _ _47___, Myra and Harold. The cheque moved quickly to and fro in the air to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady _ _48___to pick it up. Her present! her _ _49___ present! With _ _50___fingers she tore it into little bits.

31. A. took away        B. brought up          C. moved off       D. set down

32. A. occasion         B. opportunity          C. ceremony       D. anniversary

33. A. mustn’t          B. mightn’t            C. wouldn’t        D. needn’t

34. A. occasionally      B. always              C. almost          D. seldom

35. A. unhappily        B. unfortunately         C. unforgettably    D. unkindly

36. A. casual           B. remote              C. special          D. conventional

37. A. Even if          B. So that         C. In case             D. Now that

38. A. proud           B. capable         C. sure               D. afraid

39. A. sharpened        B. weakened      C. widened           D. brightened

40. A. excited          B. alarmed        C. inspired           D. satisfied

41. A. thinking          B. imagining       C. welcoming       D. watching

42. A. steadily           B. wildly         C. nervously         D. randomly

43. A. discontent         B. loneliness      C. disappointment     D. annoyance

44. A. patient            B. anxious       C. urgent             D. mild

45. A. immediately       B. cheerfully      C. angrily            D. unwillingly

46. A. Pinned           B. Folded         C. Lined             D. Roped

47. A. card             B. bonus          C. cheque            D. cash

48. A. bent             B. leaned          C. struggled          D. stretched

49. A. painful           B. sad            C. expensive          D. lovely

50. A. moving          B. trembling        C. reacting           D. freezing

One year ago, I traveled 15,000 kilometers from Australia to the US. I am from a beachside town in the   16  of Sydney, and thought there would be almost no   17  differences between my home country and my 18  . I was surprised at how wrong I was, and at  19  different the two countries could be.
The United States is   20  in almost every aspect. The buildings are gigantic (巨大的) and so are the people who   21  and work in them. At mealtimes, the portions (份额) often   22  to me to be big enough for three or four people. I once   23  a baked potato which turned out to be bigger than my head! This was a big   24  for me.
The longer I spent in the US, the more I started to   25  smaller differences like the culture of   26  in restaurants. In Australia we don’t tend to give a tip   27  the service has been really excellent. In the US you tip for   28  everything, even at the hairdresser. Waiters and shop assistants   29  to be given 15 percent of the bill, although in places   30 New York or Washington DC, a tip can be as much as 20 percent.
  31 , I also became more wary (谨慎的) of believing the stereotypes (成见) I had heard at home as I traveled. Not all Americans are ignorant of geography, for example.
Despite this, certain stereotypes about places did seem to   32  true for me. There is an immense (强烈的) sense of speed in New York. Everyone   33  to and fro, and very seldom takes time to   34  the moment. This is very different from the Australian lifestyle. Australians are laid back. Even in a major city like Sydney, we “Aussies” take time to “stop and smell the roses”---very different from our American counterparts.
Navigating (驾驭) the culture divide between Australia and the US was challenging at times. But I took up that   35  and learned a lot from it. It was an adventure.

【小题1】
A.heartB.cityC.centerD.suburbs
【小题2】
A.culturalB.commercialC.economicD.scientific
【小题3】
A.home townB.departureC.locationD.destination
【小题4】
A.howB.whyC.howeverD.where
【小题5】
A.bigB.modernC.smallD.fashionable
【小题6】
A.travelB.surviveC.liveD.serve
【小题7】
A.happenedB.seemedC.provedD.managed
【小题8】
A.broughtB.orderedC.designedD.fetched
【小题9】
A.laughterB.pleasureC.shockD.embarrassment
【小题10】
A.preferB.noticeC.tellD.appreciate
【小题11】
A.servingB.tippingC.donatingD.toasting
【小题12】
A.unlessB.ifC.whenD.since
【小题13】
A.rarelyB.mostlyC.almostD.hardly
【小题14】
A.tryB.waitC.thinkD.expect
【小题15】
A.likeB.alongC.forD.in
【小题16】
A.SoB.ThereforeC.HoweverD.But
【小题17】
A.comeB.becomeC.turnD.get
【小题18】
A.walksB.drivesC.wandersD.rushes
【小题19】
A.depend onB.reflect onC.spy onD.watch on
【小题20】
A.experienceB.jobC.challengeD.business

The economic growth that many nations in Asia and increasingly Africa have experienced over the past couple of decades has transformed hundreds of millions of lives – almost entirely for the better. But there’s a byproduct to that growth, one that’s evident – or sometimes less than evident – in the smoggy, smelly skies above cities like Beijing, New Delhi and Jakarta. Thanks to new cars and power plants, air pollution is bad and getting worse in much of the world, and it’s taking a major toll (伤亡人数,代价) on global health.

How big? According to a new analysis published in the Lancet, more than 3.2 million people suffered deaths from air pollution in 2010, the largest number on record. That’s up from 800,000 in 2000. And it’s a regional problem: 65% of those deaths occurred in Asia, where the air is choked by diesel soot (内燃发动机烟雾) from cars and trucks, as well as the song from power plants and the dust from endless urban construction. In East Asia and China, 1.2 million people died, as well as another 712,000 in South Asia, including India. For the first time ever, air pollution is on the world’s top – 10 list of killers, and it’s moving up the ranks faster than any other factor.

So how can air pollution be so damaging? It is the very finest soot – so small that it roots deep within the lungs and then enters the bloodstream – that contributes to most of the public – health toll of air pollution including death. Diesel soot, which can also cause cancer, is a major problem because it is concentrated in cities along transportation zones affecting overpopulated areas. It is thought to contribute to half the deaths from air pollution in urban centers. Fro example, 1 in 6 people in the U.S. live near a diesel – pollution hot spot like a rail yard, port terminal or freeway.

We also know that air pollution may be linked to other non – deadly diseases. Fortunately in the U.S. and other developed nations, urban air is for the most part cleaner than it was 30 or 40 years ago, thanks to regulations and new technologies like the catalytic converters (催化式排气净化器) that reduce automobile emissions. Govemments are also pushing to make air cleaner – see the White House’s move last week to further tighten soot standards. It’s not perfect, but we’ve had much more success dealing with air pollution than climate change.

Will developing nations like India eventually catch up? Hopefully – though the problem may get worse before it gets better. The good news is that it doesn’t take a major technological advance to improve urban air. Switching from diesel fuel to unleaded (无铅燃油) helps, as do newer and cleaner cars which are less likely to send out pollutants. Power plants – even ones that burn mineral fuels like coal – can be fitted with pollution – control equipment that, at a price, will greatly reduce smog and other pollutants.

But the best solutions may involve urban design. In the Guardian, John Vidal notes that Delhi now has 200 cars per 1,000 people, far more than much richer Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Developing cities will almost certainly see an increase in car ownership as residents become wealthier – and that doesn’t have to mean deadly air pollution. Higher incomes should also lead to tougher environmental regulations, which is exactly what happened in the West. We can only hope it happens before the death toll from bad air gets even higher.

1.What tends to give rise to the highest death toll according to the passage?

A.The lack of tight environmental protection standards.

B.The increasing numbers of the diesel cars and trucks.

C.The frighteningly high death rate from deadly cancer.

D.The world’s serious air pollution such as soot and dust.

2.The “byproduct” (Paragraph 1) most probably refers to     .

A.consequence      B.solution       C.reform         D.design

3.The basic reason why so many people die from air pollution is that       .

A.the diesel soot is too small to be seen

B.the diesel soot is much too poisonous to breathe

C.the diesel soot roots in lungs and gets into blood

D.the diesel soot can also contribute to deadly cancer

4.According to the passage, the writer actually wants to convince the readers that        .

A.the global economic growth is mainly to blame for air pollution and climate change

B.the developing countries are repeating the same mistakes as the developed ones made

C.the ecological situation and air pollution in India are becoming worse and worse

D.the unbeatable air is increasingly becoming a major killer throughout the world

5.By describing urban design as “the best solution” in the last paragraph, the writer means that        .

A.the making of tougher environmental regulations alone is of little use

B.more sever regulations should be made to handle air pollution

C.the urban construction in western developed countries is the best choice

D.the pace of development has to be slowed down to reduce air pollution

 

I remember a day when I was a little kid. I was making a sandwich in the kitchen when I noticed the date on one of the wine bottles.

“ Dad, dad!” I cried. “This wine is too old to drink.”

“ Son, hold on,” he said.

“ No, you can’t drink this tonight! This bottle of wine was made 10 years ago.”

“ Wait, let me tell you…”

“ Would you like me to throw it away fro you?” I asked.

“ Son, wait a second,” he said. “Son, some wines get better over time. The longer you wait to drink it, the better it will be. Although this may seem strange, it is true.”

When I was young, I didn’t have any understanding of what this meant, but now, this would have been very helpful to remember as I went through my teenage years.

In our society, we forget this simple rule: The longer you want for certain things, the better they will be. But we want the best job as quickly as possible; we want to graduate from college in as few years as possible; we even speed through our homework just to chat with friends. When we do this, we lose something of great importance.

We all want to get to the next step so quickly that perhaps we don’t get ready enough to get there. This has a negative effect on our society. When trying to go to the right college, we will do anything to get in and when we rush through our class-work, we may not study enough for the test, and end up failing. We need to be ready for whatever comes, ready for the unexpected. Wine gets better over time, so do the things in our paths of life.

1.Why did the author tell his father not to drink the bottle of wine?

A.Because it smelt terrible.

B.Because it had been kept for years.

C.Because it was mixed with something else.

D.Because his father drank too much that night.

2.What the author’s father said __________.

A.made the author puzzled when he was a little child.

B.was too simple a rule to be meaningful to the author.

C.threw the author into deep thought then.

D.was an excuse to drink the wine.

3.In the author’s opinion, if we do things too quickly, we will __________.

A.do it better

B.save much time

C.graduate from college more quickly

D.miss something useful to us in life

4.Which of the following best reflects the main idea of the passage?

A.Well begun is half done.

B.More haste, less speed.

C.Failure is the mother of success.

D.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

 

One year ago, I traveled 15,000 kilometers from Australia to the US. I am from a beachside town in the   16  of Sydney, and thought there would be almost no   17  differences between my home country and my 18  . I was surprised at how wrong I was, and at  19  different the two countries could be.

The United States is   20  in almost every aspect. The buildings are gigantic (巨大的) and so are the people who   21  and work in them. At mealtimes, the portions (份额) often   22  to me to be big enough for three or four people. I once   23  a baked potato which turned out to be bigger than my head! This was a big   24  for me.

The longer I spent in the US, the more I started to   25  smaller differences like the culture of   26  in restaurants. In Australia we don’t tend to give a tip   27  the service has been really excellent. In the US you tip for   28  everything, even at the hairdresser. Waiters and shop assistants   29  to be given 15 percent of the bill, although in places   30 New York or Washington DC, a tip can be as much as 20 percent.

  31 , I also became more wary (谨慎的) of believing the stereotypes (成见) I had heard at home as I traveled. Not all Americans are ignorant of geography, for example.

Despite this, certain stereotypes about places did seem to   32  true for me. There is an immense (强烈的) sense of speed in New York. Everyone   33  to and fro, and very seldom takes time to   34  the moment. This is very different from the Australian lifestyle. Australians are laid back. Even in a major city like Sydney, we “Aussies” take time to “stop and smell the roses”---very different from our American counterparts.

Navigating (驾驭) the culture divide between Australia and the US was challenging at times. But I took up that   35  and learned a lot from it. It was an adventure.

1.                A.heart          B.city            C.center   D.suburbs

 

2.                A.cultural         B.commercial      C.economic D.scientific

 

3.                A.home town      B.departure       C.location  D.destination

 

4.                A.how           B.why            C.however  D.where

 

5.                A.big            B.modern         C.small D.fashionable

 

6.                A.travel          B.survive         C.live  D.serve

 

7.                A.happened       B.seemed         C.proved   D.managed

 

8.                A.brought        B.ordered        C.designed  D.fetched

 

9.                A.laughter        B.pleasure        C.shock    D.embarrassment

 

10.               A.prefer         B.notice          C.tell   D.appreciate

 

11.               A.serving         B.tipping         C.donating   D.toasting

 

12.               A.unless         B.if             C.when D.since

 

13.               A.rarely          B.mostly         C.almost D.hardly

 

14.               A.try            B.wait           C.think D.expect

 

15.               A.like            B.along          C.for   D.in

 

16.               A.So            B.Therefore       C.However  D.But

 

17.               A.come          B.become        C.turn  D.get

 

18.               A.walks          B.drives          C.wanders   D.rushes

 

19.               A.depend on      B.reflect on       C.spy on D.watch on

 

20.               A.experience     B.job            C.challenge  D.business

 

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网